Peter Obi was reportedly tricked into Atiku-Backed ADC Coalition.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that fresh controversy has erupted over the reported involvement of former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in a new opposition coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a movement allegedly orchestrated by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
According to revelations made by Katchy Ononuju, Obi’s former Special Adviser on Public Affairs during the 2023 elections, the former Anambra governor was misled into joining the coalition under the assumption that he would eventually emerge as its presidential candidate.
Ononuju claimed that Obi was lured into the alliance with vague assurances that the ticket would be zoned to the South after inauguration. “The coalition was just a trick,” he told DAILY POST. “They told him, ‘Go and register, let us inaugurate. We’ll negotiate your candidacy later.’ I warned him that these people were not genuine.”
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He accused Atiku of using the ADC platform as a personal construct to advance his 2027 presidential ambition and claimed that zoning, a major issue in Nigeria’s political discourse is being ignored. “The pendulum must return to the South. If the North has done eight years, it has to be the South’s turn,” Ononuju insisted.
In response, Peter Obi has distanced himself from any talk of a joint ticket or alliance with Atiku, reaffirming that he remains committed to a single-term presidency if elected. “If there’s any agreement limiting me to four years, I’ll comply and leave office on May 28, 2031, not 29, but 28,” Obi said.
Despite Ononuju’s warnings, he expressed concern that Obi could suffer political irrelevance if he accepts a Vice Presidential role under Atiku or any other candidate. “Peter Obi will die a political death as Vice President,” he said. “Every Vice President in our history has had their voice muted. Look at Osinbajo, Shettima, even Jonathan. The office is politically emasculating.”
Ononuju, who also serves as Director General of the Heritage Centre, emphasized that the coalition is primarily Atiku’s creation and unlikely to offer Obi real influence. “Atiku constructed the ADC coalition. I don’t think he built it for someone else to emerge as flagbearer.”
He warned that without Peter Obi at the center of any 2027 coalition, the political equation would tilt in favor of old power blocs. “Remove Tinubu for what? If Peter Obi isn’t leading, what we’ll have is the CPC faction versus the remnant of the nPDP. Without Obi, there’s no viable replacement strategy.”
However, Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, has dismissed the claims, accusing detractors of attempting to sow discord. “There is no iota of truth in the claims that Peter Obi was tricked,” he told DAILY POST. “Those peddling this narrative are trying to distract us. If Obi speaks, it will come directly from him or his aides.”
Tanko reiterated that Peter Obi remains a member of the Labour Party and that his participation in the coalition talks is aimed at shaping the future, particularly the 2027 elections. “He’s committed to protecting his supporters contesting under LP and building partnerships that can rescue Nigeria from economic and social decline.”
As the drama unfolds, questions remain about the true direction of the ADC coalition, the sincerity of its power-sharing intentions, and whether Peter Obi’s political brand can survive another alliance with Atiku.
